Among the tales of heartbreak and destruction from last weekend's floods, there were also a few lucky escapes.
One of those took place at Moerewa's Otiria Marae, which boasts one of Northland's finest fully-carved wharenui.
Floodwaters hit Otiria early on Saturday and raged until Sunday, long after Cyclone Wilma's massive dump of rainfall.
The marae was transformed into an island amid raging floodwaters, but the wharenui somehow came through with barely any damage.
Treasurer/caretaker Murray 'Muz' Armstrong said the marae was packed over the weekend, with more than 60 members of the Heta whanau gathering from as far away as East Cape for two kawe mate (mourning ceremonies), a 21st birthday and a re-dedication at the nearby cemetery.
Late on Friday night the nearby Waiharakeke Stream broke its banks at the Pokapu Bridge and swept out a culvert; at 2am on Saturday marae guests moved their cars to higher ground, and shifted into the higher dining hall.
Later they were evacuated to the rugby clubrooms in Moerewa, but, like the captain of a ship, Mr Armstrong refused to leave.
At the peak of the flood, water was just millimetres from the top of the steps at the front of the wharenui and bubbling up through cracks in the concrete porch.
The force of the flood meant the water was well above floor level at the rear of the building, but it held remarkably well, Mr Armstrong said.
First he used sheets to soak up the water seeping through; later firefighters suggested he pull the sheets off the marae's mattresses and use them as giant sponges.
"There was a sea of brown water everywhere you looked. The railway line was covered and a tin fence came down with the force. I was really amazed with the amount of water gushing around the back, but it held really well."
Floodwaters swept through the toilets, kitchen and storage areas, spoiling meat in the chiller, sweeping away a clothesline and carving out a new gully behind the marae.
However, the wharenui itself was invaded by water in one corner only, and the visiting whanau helped with Sunday's big clean-up.
Mr Armstrong said the marae had to be ready for a tangi on Tuesday, and he was relieved the flood hadn't come a few weeks later - from February 22, Otiria Marae will host the closing submissions for the Waitangi Tribunal's ground-breaking initial hearings into the Northland Inquiry. Up to 1000 people are expected daily for the three-day event.
Rainwater from a massive 600sq km catchment drains through Moerewa, including from the Matawaia, Otaua, Motatau and Towai areas. Towai copped 280mm in about 12 hours.
Wharenui survives floods unscathed
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